If you are anything like me, breast cancer is something you always thoughts about, always worried about in the back of your mind, but never really believed could happen to you. I mean, it runs mostly in families right? And no one in my family had ever had it, so well, although it was certainly something to be concerned over, it wasn’t going to happen to me. I made the occasional effort and had a bit of a look around in the shower, but I didn’t really know what I was looking for anyway.

My ‘won’t happen to me’ attitude changed last year. A close friend of mine found a lump in one of her breasts. It didn’t run in her family either. I watched her go through the torment of going to the doctor, waiting for a biopsy, waiting for the results, waiting, waiting, waiting…

She was one of the lucky ones. We eventually found out that her lump was benign and not cancer. It all got me thinking though. If it could happen to her, then maybe I wasn’t quite so invulnerable. And it wasn’t something that I was going to be safe from just because I ignored it, either. My problem was, I really didn’t know what I was looking for. Was a lump round, or long? Were the shapes I felt when I did examine my breasts normal? And what would I do if I found a lump anyway? It took my friend at least a week after finding her lump to actually garner the courage to talk about it and make a doctor’s appointment. It was all just too scary a subject to face. Scarier because I really didn’t have the knowledge to be confident I was doing all I could. And a bit embarrassing too.

After all, our women bits are not something we have been raised to discuss in polite company.

However, recently I had the privilege of being introduced to a product called ‘Breast Chek’. The product itself is remarkably simple and its main message – “Early detection saves lives” got my attention. So impressed was I that I thought it was something I needed to tell you all about. The Breast Chek acts as a magnifying glass for your fingers.

As you can see, it is a circular fluid filled latex sac and when held against your skin, one surface holds contact while the fluid layer allows the top surface to move. Your fingers are able to glide smoothly across the surface of your breast without friction getting in your way. It makes your touch incredibly sensitive and allows you to really feel what is going on in those soft, heavy bumps we would all feel so much less womanly without.

The information pack that came with my Breast-Chek was almost as important to me as the product itself. It answered all those questions I’d always felt a bit silly about asking.

For example, “When is the best time to do a breast exam?”

Within a week after your period ending. This is a time when your breasts are least likely to be swollen or tender and will give you the best chance to examine them properly.

“How often should I check?”

Once a month and at the same time every month if you don’t have a period or things are a bit irregular.

“How will I know when there is something to be concerned about?”

The first step is becoming familiar with the structures of your breast. Once you know what is normal for you, you will quickly notice when something changes. Some women are genetically inclined to have lumpy breasts, do not be alarmed and when unsure about anything, grit your teeth and go have a chat with your doctor.

“How do I actually do a breast exam?”

One important thing I didn’t know was that a breast exam should be done with the flats of your fingers, not your fingertips. Bend your wrist to go over the curve of your breast to give yourself a stable contact and keep your pressure even. You go over the entire surface of your breast, making small circles, in either in a round the points of the clock pattern or in a grid method going from side to side across and down.

I also leant something I hadn’t heard about before – the importance of a visual exam. Some cancers can show as puckering or swelling on the breast surface. So stand yourself in front of a mirror and give those womanly bits of yours a good looking over. Check for discharge by gently squeezing your nipples.

The Breast-Chek certainly gives me more confidence that firstly, I know what I am doing but secondly, that I have a better chance of catching any changes early. And the earlier you find it, should something go wrong, the better your chances are of surviving. This is a great product and one I am proud to tell you about. It also makes a fabulous, possibly life giving gift for the women you love.

As the Breast-Chek message so rightly says, early detection saves lives! Breast-Check facts:

The pack contains:

one Breast Chek device

5 x $US5 money back voucher to be claimed monthly after you have completed your exam

1 x instruction booklet and journal, where you can note down your exam results

The Breast-Check product retails for $59.99 and can be ordered by clicking This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and asking us to contact you to determine the payment method that suits you best. $5 of this will be donated towards the upkeep of this site.

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